JP4414072B2 - Tray for vacuum processing apparatus and vacuum processing apparatus - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a vacuum processing apparatus tray (hereinafter simply referred to as a tray) on which an object to be processed is placed in a vacuum processing apparatus that performs processing in vacuum such as thin film formation, surface modification, or dry etching.
[0002]
[Prior art]
In the manufacturing process of various semiconductor parts and electronic parts, vacuum processing equipment that performs processing in vacuum such as thin film formation, surface modification, dry etching, etc. is used to form fine electronic circuits on the workpiece. Is done. In such a vacuum processing apparatus, an object to be processed may be placed on a tray for processing. In particular, when processing a plurality of identical objects to be processed at the same time or simultaneously processing a plurality of objects to be processed having different external dimensions, a configuration is adopted in which the objects to be processed are placed on a tray for processing.
[0003]
In such a vacuum processing apparatus, since the temperature of the workpiece to be processed often affects the processing, a configuration for controlling the temperature of the workpiece during the processing is often employed. Specifically, a tray on which an object to be processed is placed is placed and held on a table-like holder. The holder is controlled at a predetermined temperature by providing a heater inside or circulating a refrigerant inside, and the temperature of the object to be processed is set by placing the tray on the holder. Is controlled.
[0004]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the conventional vacuum processing apparatus has a drawback that the accuracy and efficiency of temperature control are poor because the workpiece is in a vacuum. That is, the tray is brought into contact with the temperature-controlled holder, and the object to be processed is controlled in temperature by contacting the object with the tray. The contact is not sufficient, and it is inevitable that a minute gap is formed between the two. This gap is a vacuum atmosphere. Therefore, the amount of heat transfer through this gap is smaller than that in the atmosphere. For this reason, the overall heat transfer efficiency between the holder and the workpiece is poor, and as a result, the accuracy and efficiency of temperature control of the workpiece are worsened.
[0005]
The invention of the present application has been made to solve such a problem, and in a vacuum processing apparatus having a function of transporting an object to be processed using a tray, the accuracy and efficiency of the temperature control of the object to be processed have been greatly improved. It has the technical significance of improving it.
[0006]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention according to claim 1 of the present application is a processing object in a vacuum processing apparatus for processing a processing object in vacuum.Is transported and placed on the tray holderA tray for a vacuum processing apparatus,
  When there is a closed space recess that forms a closed space in the space facing the surface of the workpiece opposite to the surface to be processed, and when placed on the tray holderThe aboveThere is a gas introduction path for introducing the pressure-increasing gas into the closed space so that the pressure in the closed space is higher than the vacuum pressure of the space facing the surface to be processed.And
A presser for pressing the object to be processed against the tray so that the object to be processed does not float when the pressure increasing gas is introduced into the closed space;
  On the surface opposite to the side on which the object to be processed is placed, a recess on the opposite side for temporarily storing the pressure-increasing gas is formed,
The gas introduction path penetrates the tray in the thickness direction, and connects the closed space recess and the opposite recess.It has the structure of.
  Moreover, in order to solve the said subject, a claim2The described invention is claimed.1In this configuration, a conductance adjuster for adjusting the conductance of the gas introduction path is provided.
  Moreover, in order to solve the said subject, a claim3The described invention is claimed.1 or 2A vacuum processing apparatus using the vacuum processing apparatus tray described above, wherein the processing chamber is evacuated to a vacuum pressure by an exhaust system, and the vacuum processing apparatus tray is disposed at a predetermined position in the processing chamber.1 or 2A tray holder for holding the vacuum processing apparatus tray described above, the tray holder is provided with a temperature control mechanism for controlling the temperature of the object to be processed through the tray, and the gas introduction path is used to A pressurization gas introduction system for introducing the pressurization gas into the closed space is provided.
  Moreover, in order to solve the said subject, a claim4The invention described is a processing object in a vacuum processing apparatus that processes the processing object in a vacuum.Is transported and placed on the tray holderA tray for a vacuum processing apparatus,
  A closed space recess for forming a closed space is formed in a space facing the surface opposite to the surface to be processed of the object to be processed, and the pressure in the closed space is applied when placed on the tray holder. It has a gas introduction path for introducing a pressure-increasing gas into the closed space so as to be higher than the vacuum pressure of the space facing the surface to be processed.
  It has an adsorption electrode inside that induces static electricity on the surface and generates an electric field that electrostatically adsorbs the workpiece.
  The gas introduction path has a concave portion on the opposite side to temporarily store the pressurizing gas on the surface opposite to the side on which the workpiece is placed,
The gas introduction path penetrates the tray in the thickness direction, and connects the closed space recess and the opposite recess.It has the structure of.
  Moreover, in order to solve the said subject, a claim5The described invention has a configuration in which a conductance adjuster for adjusting the conductance of the gas introduction path is provided in the configuration of claim 4.
  In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the invention according to claim 6 is the configuration according to claim 4 or 5, wherein one end of a conduction pin is connected to the adsorption electrode, and the other end of the conduction pin is a tray. It protrudes from the surface on the side placed on the tray holder.
  Moreover, in order to solve the said subject, a claim7The described invention is claimed.4 to 6A vacuum processing apparatus using the vacuum processing apparatus tray described above, wherein the processing chamber is evacuated to a vacuum pressure by an exhaust system, and the vacuum processing apparatus tray is disposed at a predetermined position in the processing chamber.Recorded in any of 4-6And a tray holder that holds a tray for a vacuum processing apparatus, and the tray holder includes a voltage supply unit that supplies a voltage for electrostatic adsorption to the adsorption electrode.
  Moreover, in order to solve the said subject, a claim8The described invention is claimed.7In the described configuration, the tray holder is provided with a temperature control mechanism for controlling the temperature of the object to be processed via the tray.
[0007]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below. First, claims1 to 3A first embodiment corresponding to the above will be described. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the tray of the first embodiment, FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the tray shown in FIG. 1 viewed from above, and FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of the tray shown in FIG. FIG. FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line A-A ′ shown in FIG. 2. The tray 1 shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 is used for transporting an object 9 to be processed in a vacuum, and is configured to carry the object 9 to be transported. . In the present embodiment, the workpiece 9 has a disk shape like a semiconductor wafer. In FIG. 2, the workpiece 9 is not shown.
[0008]
As understood from FIGS. 2 and 2, the tray 1 has a rectangular plate shape as a whole. The material of the tray 1 is assumed not to affect the processing of the workpiece 9. For example, when the workpiece 9 is a silicon wafer, the tray 1 is formed of silicon, silicon oxide, or the like. Alternatively, the tray 1 may be formed of a chemically stable metal such as stainless steel or aluminum.
[0009]
On the upper surface of the tray 1, four mounting recesses 11 having a circular plan view in accordance with the shape of the workpiece 9 are formed. The diameter of each mounting recess 11 is slightly larger than the diameter of the workpiece 9, and the workpiece 9 is placed in a state where it is dropped into each mounting recess 11. All of the four mounting recesses 11 have the same dimensions. Therefore, in this embodiment, the four workpieces 9 having the same shape and dimension are conveyed. In some cases, the tray 1 has mounting recesses 11 having different shapes or sizes, and the workpieces 9 having different shapes or sizes are conveyed.
Moreover, as shown in FIG. 1, the depth of each mounting recess 11 is slightly smaller than the thickness of the workpiece 9. Therefore, the workpiece 9 is placed in a state of slightly protruding from the upper surface of the tray 1.
[0010]
As shown in FIG. 1, the tray 1 is provided with a pressing tool 12 that presses the workpiece 9 so as to prevent the workpiece 9 from jumping out or dropping. The pressing tool 12 is a member that covers the periphery of the workpiece 9 dropped into the mounting recess 11. The pressing tool 12 is fixed to the tray 1 by screws 13, whereby the workpiece 9 is pressed against the tray 1. Note that a step is formed in the portion of the pressing tool 12 covering the periphery of the object 9 to be processed so that the processing object 9 protrudes from the tray 1. The processed product 9 is sufficiently brought into contact with the peripheral edge. In addition, the to-be-processed surface is an upper surface of the to-be-processed object 9 of the state dropped into the mounting recessed part 11 as mentioned above, and mounted.
[0011]
A major feature of the present embodiment is that the tray 1 has a shape in which a closed space is formed in a space facing a surface opposite to the surface to be processed of the workpiece 9 (hereinafter simply referred to as an opposite side surface). It is. Specifically, the tray 1 has a closed space recess 14 that forms a closed space together with the workpiece 9. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the closed space recess 14 has a groove shape formed on the bottom surface of the mounting recess 11. As shown in FIG. 2, the closed space recess 14 includes a groove-shaped portion extending radially from the center of each mounting recess 11, and a plurality of groove-shaped grooves concentrically around the center of each mounting recess 11. It is the shape which consists of a part. As shown in FIG. 1, when the workpiece 9 is dropped into the mounting recess 11, the workpiece 9 closes the closed space recess 14 from above, and the workpiece 9 and the closed space recess are closed. 14 forms a closed space on the opposite side of the workpiece 9.
[0012]
In addition, the tray 1 has a gas introduction path 15 for introducing a gas for increasing the pressure in the closed space (hereinafter referred to as a pressure-increasing gas). As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the gas introduction path 15 is formed by penetrating the tray 1 in the thickness direction at the center of the closed space recess 14 provided in each mounting recess 11. is there.
[0013]
On the other hand, when the side of the tray 1 on which the workpiece 9 is placed is the front side, and the opposite side is the back side, the back side is provided with a recess as shown in FIGS. A back surface side recess) 16 is formed. The shape of the back-side concave portion 16 in the planar direction is a centrally symmetric shape as shown in FIG. That is, the back surface side recess 16 has a small rectangular portion similar to the tray 1 provided in the center, and a plurality of grooves having a rectangular outline whose center coincides with the central axis of the tray 1 outside the small rectangular portion. And a cross-shaped groove-shaped portion that intersects at the center thereof. As shown in FIG. 3, the gas introduction path 15 is located at each corner of the second-side square groove-like portion of the back-side concave portion 16.
[0014]
Next, an embodiment of the invention of the vacuum processing apparatus will be described. 4 and 5 are diagrams showing a schematic configuration of the vacuum processing apparatus of the first embodiment, FIG. 4 is a plan view, and FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B ′ of FIG. 4. The apparatus of this embodiment is an apparatus that employs a cluster tool type chamber layout. That is, as shown in FIG. 1, a transfer chamber 2 having a transfer robot 21 inside is provided in the center, and a load lock chamber 3 and a plurality of processing chambers 4, 5, 6 are provided around the gate valve 7. Airtight connection. The transfer chamber 2, the load lock chamber 3, and the processing chambers 4, 5, and 6 are vacuum chambers and include an exhaust system (not shown in FIG. 4).
[0015]
The apparatus of the present embodiment has a mounting area (not shown) for placing an unprocessed object 9 on the tray 1 on the atmosphere side and a collection area (not shown) for recovering the processed object 9 from the tray 1. . In the mounting area, an unprocessed object 9 is automatically placed on the tray 1 manually or using a robot or the like. Similarly, in the collection area, the workpiece 9 that has been processed automatically or manually using a robot or the like is collected from the tray 1.
As the transfer robot 21 in the transfer chamber 2, an articulated robot is used in the present embodiment. The transfer robot 21 places and holds the tray 1 on the tip of the articulated arm, and moves the tray 1 by expanding and contracting the articulated arm, rotating around a vertical axis, and moving up and down.
[0016]
The load lock chamber 3 is a chamber in which the tray 1 temporarily stays when the tray 1 moves between the atmosphere side and the transfer chamber 2. A cassette that temporarily stores a plurality of trays 1 may be provided in the load lock chamber 3. In addition, an autoloader (not shown) that moves the tray 1 between the above-described mounting area and collection area and the load lock chamber is provided. The autoloader is an articulated robot similar to the transfer robot 21.
[0017]
The configuration of each processing chamber 4, 5, 6 is optimized according to the content of processing performed on the workpiece 9. The apparatus of this embodiment is an apparatus that performs etching using a circuit pattern formed of a resist as a mask. That is, one of the processing chambers 4 is an etching chamber.
The etching chamber 4 is configured to etch a surface to be processed 9 by plasma of fluorine-based gas. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5, the etching chamber 4 includes an exhaust system 41 that exhausts the inside, and carbon tetrafluoride (CF₄) As a process gas, a high-frequency electrode 43 that generates high-frequency discharge in the introduced gas to form plasma, and a high-frequency power source that supplies high-frequency power to the high-frequency electrode 44, a tray holder 45 for holding the tray 1 at a predetermined position in the etching chamber 4, and the like.
[0018]
In the fluorine-based gas plasma formed by the high frequency discharge, fluorine active species and fluorine ions are actively formed, and the fluorine active species and fluorine ions reach the surface to be processed of the object 9 to be processed. A material such as silicon oxide is etched. In some cases, reactive ion etching is performed in which etching is performed while setting an electric field and accelerating ions to enter the surface to be processed.
[0019]
Further, the etching chamber 4 is provided with a temperature control mechanism (not shown in FIG. 5) for controlling the temperature of the workpiece 9 being processed. The temperature control mechanism controls the temperature of the workpiece 9 by managing the temperature of the tray holder 45. The temperature control mechanism will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing details of the tray holder 45 provided in the etching chamber 4 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.
[0020]
As shown in FIG. 6, the temperature control mechanism 46 circulates a refrigerant in a heater 461 provided in the tray holder 45 and generates a Joule heat in the tray holder 45 so as to heat the tray holder 45. From a refrigerant circulation system 462 that cools the tray holder 45, a temperature sensor (not shown) that measures the temperature of the tray holder 45, a control unit (not shown) that controls the heater 461 and the refrigerant circulation system 462 based on signals from the temperature sensor, and the like. It is configured. The control unit manages the temperature of the tray holder 45 to a predetermined temperature by controlling the power supplied to the heater 461 or controlling the flow rate of the refrigerant or the temperature of the refrigerant by a signal from the temperature sensor. It is like that.
[0021]
Further, the tray 1 is placed on the tray holder 45 by the transport robot 21 in a state where the central axis of the tray holder 45 and the central axis of the tray 1 coincide with each other. As shown in FIG. 5, a clamp mechanism 47 for pressing the tray 1 placed on the tray holder 45 against the tray holder 45 is provided. The clamp mechanism 47 mainly includes a hook 471 whose tip is in contact with the portion of the pressing tool 12 and a hook drive unit 472 that drives the hook 471. The hook 471 is inserted through the opening in the bottom plate portion of the etching chamber 4. A bellows is provided so that there is no leakage from the hook insertion portion.
[0022]
A major feature of the apparatus of the present embodiment shown in FIGS. 4 to 6 is that a pressurization gas introduction system 48 for introducing the pressurization gas into the closed space formed in the tray 1 as described above is provided. It is. The pressurization gas introduction system 48 introduces the pressurization gas via the inside of the tray holder 45 described above. This point will be specifically described below.
[0023]
As shown in FIG. 6, the tray holder 45 is provided with a through-hole 451 extending vertically along the central axis. The pressure-increasing gas introduction system 48 includes a cylinder 480 that stores the pressure-increasing gas, a pipe 481 that connects the cylinder 480 and the through hole 451 of the tray holder 45, a valve 282 provided on the pipe 481, a flow rate regulator 483, and the like. Consists mainly of. The pressurization gas introduction system 48 introduces helium as the pressurization gas.
[0024]
Next, the operation of the tray 1 and the pressurizing gas introduction system 48 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 6, after the tray 1 on which the workpiece 9 is mounted is placed on the tray holder 45, the hook driving unit 472 operates so that the hook 471 contacts the pressing tool 12 and the tray 1 is placed in the tray holder. Press against 45. Next, the boosting gas introduction system 48 operates to introduce helium as the boosting gas. The pressurizing gas first accumulates in the space between the tray holder 45 and the tray 1, that is, in the back surface side recess 16 of the tray 1 through the through hole 451 in the tray holder 45. As a result, the pressure in the space in the back surface side recess 16 increases.
[0025]
The pressurizing gas accumulated in the back-side recess 16 rises through the gas introduction path 15 provided in the tray 1 and reaches the space between the tray 1 and the workpiece 9, that is, the closed space, and this closed space. Increase the pressure.
As a result of the increase in the pressure of the space in the back side recess 16 and the pressure in the closed space, the heat transfer efficiency between the tray holder 45 and the tray 1 and the heat transfer efficiency between the tray 1 and the workpiece 9 are improved. . As a result, the efficiency of heat exchange between the tray holder 45 and the workpiece 9 is increased, and the accuracy and efficiency of temperature control of the workpiece 9 by the temperature control mechanism 46 described above are improved.
[0026]
In addition, the tray 1 of the present embodiment includes a conductance adjuster 17 that adjusts the conductance of the boosting gas introduction path 15. Hereinafter, this point will be described.
FIG. 7 is a plan view illustrating the configuration of the conductance adjuster 17. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the conductance adjuster 17 is composed of a plate-like member that partially closes the entrance of the gas introduction path 15 formed on the opposite side surface of the tray 1. The conductance adjuster 17 is screwed to the tray 1. The conductance adjuster 17 has an elongated opening 170, a screw 171 is inserted into the opening 170, and the screw is screwed into the tray 1.
[0027]
When adjusting the conductance, the screw 171 is loosened and the conductance adjuster 17 is moved in the length direction of the opening. Thereby, the gas introduction path 15 by the conductance adjuster 17 is blocked, and the amount increases or decreases. After the conductance adjuster 17 is positioned at an appropriate position, screws 171 are screwed into the tray 1 and fixed.
[0028]
The conductance adjustment as described above has the following technical significance. As described above, in this embodiment, the space into which the pressurizing gas is introduced is a closed space, and the pressurizing gas is confined between the tray 1 and the workpiece 9. That is, the closed space means a space that is substantially closed except for the introduction hole into which the pressurizing gas is introduced.
[0029]
Here, when the introduction amount of the pressurizing gas increases, the pressure in the closed space increases. As described above, the workpiece 9 is pressed against the tray 1 by the pressing tool 12. However, when the pressure in the closed space is increased, the workpiece 9 may be lifted from the tray 1. When the workpiece 9 is lifted from the tray 1, the pressurizing gas leaks from the closed space. When the leaked pressurizing gas reaches the space facing the surface to be processed of the object 9 to be processed, the processing quality may be affected. However, if the introduction amount of the pressurizing gas is insufficient, the effect of promoting heat exchange between the tray 1 and the workpiece 9 cannot be sufficiently obtained.
[0030]
Therefore, in this embodiment, the conductance of the gas introduction path 15 is adjusted by the conductance adjuster 17 so that the introduction amount of the boosting gas is optimized. Note that the amount of boosting gas introduced into the closed space can also be adjusted by a flow rate regulator 483 provided in the boosting gas introduction system 48. However, only the adjustment by the flow rate regulator 483 has the following two problems.
[0031]
The first problem is that it is difficult to finely adjust the pressure in the closed space only by adjustment by the flow rate regulator 483. The second problem is the necessity of adjusting the pressure in the space between the tray holder 45 and the tray 1. That is, in order to sufficiently promote the heat exchange between the tray holder 45 and the tray 1, it is necessary to sufficiently increase the pressure in the space between the tray holder 45 and the tray 1; There is a problem that the tray 1 is lifted from the tray holder 45 regardless of the pressure applied by the pressing tool 12. For this reason, it is preferable that the pressure in the space between the tray holder 45 and the tray 1 does not rise beyond the limit.
[0032]
When the pressure in the closed space is adjusted by adjusting the flow rate of the flow rate adjuster 483, the pressure in the space between the tray holder 45 and the tray 1 may deviate from the optimum value. Therefore, it is preferable that the pressure in the space between the tray holder 45 and the tray 1 is adjusted by adjusting the flow rate of the flow rate adjuster 483, and the pressure adjustment in the closed space is performed by the conductance adjuster 17.
[0033]
The conductance adjuster 17 may be a member that automatically displaces in addition to the plate-like member whose position is manually changed as described above. For example, a linear drive source such as an air cylinder is connected to a closing member that partially closes the gas introduction path 15. The closing member is displaced by a linear drive source to adjust the conductance. In addition to the linear drive source, a combination of a rotational drive source such as a servo motor and a mechanism that converts the rotation into linear motion may be employed.
[0034]
Further, from the viewpoint of not fouling the processing on the workpiece 9, it is preferable that the pressurizing gas is contained in the closed space so as not to leak out. However, if the leaking amount is very small, the quality of the process may not be affected, and the boosting gas may be introduced in an amount that does not affect the processing quality.
[0035]
Further, one of the other processing chambers 5 shown in FIG. 4 is configured as an ashing chamber for ashing and removing a resist after etching, for example. Further, the further processing chamber 6 is configured as a cleaning chamber for cleaning the processing object 9 after ashing to remove the resist residue, for example.
[0036]
Next, the overall operation of the apparatus of this embodiment will be described.
The unprocessed workpiece 9 is mounted on the tray 1 in a mounting area (not shown). The tray 1 loaded with the workpiece 9 is moved to the load lock chamber by an unillustrated autoloader. Next, the tray 1 is moved to the etching chamber 4 by the transfer robot, and the workpiece 9 is transferred to the etching chamber 4. The etching chamber 4 is evacuated to a predetermined pressure by an exhaust system 41 in advance.
[0037]
When the tray 1 is placed on the tray holder 45, the pressurization gas introduction system 48 is operated, and the pressurization gas is introduced into the closed space between the tray 1 and the workpiece 9 as described above. The tray holder 45 may be provided with a delivery mechanism for delivering the tray 1 such as a lift pin to the tray holder 45. A temperature control mechanism 46 provided in the tray holder 45 is operated in advance, and the temperature of the tray holder 45 is managed to be a predetermined value. The heat exchange efficiency is increased by the pressurizing gas, and the temperature of the workpiece 9 is accurately controlled by the temperature control mechanism 46.
In this state, the process gas introduction system 42 operates to introduce a fluorine-based gas at a predetermined flow rate. Then, the high frequency power supply 44 operates to form a fluorine-based gas plasma. The surface to be processed of the object to be processed 9 is etched by the action of plasma.
[0038]
An example of temperature control will be described in some detail. Since the etching proceeds more efficiently at a certain high temperature, the workpiece 9 is controlled to a temperature higher than the room temperature (set temperature) by the heater 461 at the start of etching. After the etching is started, the workpiece 9 is heated to the set temperature or higher by the heat from the plasma, and when the control of the heater 461 is insufficient, the workpiece 9 is cooled to the set temperature by the cooling mechanism.
[0039]
After performing such etching for a predetermined time, the operation of the high-frequency power supply 44, the process gas introduction system 42, and the boosting gas introduction system 48 is stopped, the inside of the etching chamber 4 is exhausted again, and then the tray 1 is removed from the etching chamber 4. Take out. Thereafter, after performing processing such as ashing and washing as necessary, the tray 1 is moved to the collection area via the load lock chamber 3. Then, the processed object 9 is recovered from the tray 1.
[0040]
According to the apparatus of the present embodiment related to the above configuration and operation, as described above, the temperature control accuracy of the workpiece 9 by the temperature control mechanism 46 is improved, so that the temperature of the workpiece 9 is optimal during the processing. The temperature is maintained and the quality of the process is improved. Further, since the temperature control efficiency is good, it is advantageous in terms of running cost.
[0041]
  Next, from claim 48A second embodiment corresponding to the above will be described. FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a tray holder provided in the tray of the second embodiment and the vacuum processing apparatus of the second embodiment.
[0042]
A major feature of the tray 1 shown in FIG. 8 is that it has an adsorption electrode 18 that induces static electricity on the surface and generates an electric field that electrostatically adsorbs the workpiece 9. The adsorption electrode 18 is a plate-like member similar to the tray 1 and is slightly smaller in size than the tray 1. The adsorption electrode 18 is embedded in the tray 1 so as to be parallel to the surface direction of the tray 1 (that is, the surface direction of the workpiece 9 to be placed). The adsorption electrode 18 is formed with a through hole constituting the gas introduction path 15. The tray 1 is formed of a dielectric material such as silicon oxide or alumina.
Further, two conduction pins 19 are fixed to the tray 1 through the opposite side surface of the tray 1. The upper ends of the two conductive pins 19 are connected to the suction electrode 18, and the lower ends protrude downward from the opposite side surface of the tray 1. The two conduction pins 19 are connected to the suction electrode 18 at a position substantially at the center of the suction electrode 18.
[0043]
FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view showing a detailed structure of the conduction pin 19 shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 9, the conduction pin 19 includes a hollow pin body 191, a tip 192 projecting downward from the pin body 191, and a coil spring 193 provided in the pin body 191. The pin main body 191, the tip 192, and the coil spring 193 are all made of metal.
[0044]
Although only the tray holder 45 is illustrated in FIG. 8, other configurations can be configured in the same manner as the apparatus of the first embodiment described above. The feature of the vacuum processing apparatus of the present embodiment is that the tray holder 45 has a voltage supply unit that supplies a voltage for electrostatic adsorption to the adsorption electrode 18 in the tray 1. Specifically, the voltage supply unit is a conductor rod 452 that comes into contact with the conduction pin 19 when the tray 1 is held by the tray holder 45.
[0045]
The conductor rod 452 is provided so as to penetrate the tray holder 45 vertically. The conductor rod 452 has a cylindrical shape and is coaxial with a through hole 451 provided in the center of the tray holder 45.
A suction power source 49 is connected to the conductor rod 452. As the suction power source 49, a positive or negative DC power source is used. When the tray 1 is correctly placed on the tray holder 45, the conduction pin 19 comes into contact with the tip of the conductor rod 452. At this time, the tip 192 in FIG. 8 acts to compress the coil spring 193. That is, the coil spring 193 acts to absorb the collision of the tip tool 192 with the conductor rod 452.
[0046]
When the suction power source 49 operates in a state where the conductive pin 19 is in contact with the conductor rod 452, an electrostatic suction voltage is applied to the suction electrode 18 via the conductor rod 452 and the conductive pin 19. As a result, dielectric polarization occurs in the tray holder 45, static electricity is induced on the surface, and the workpiece 9 is electrostatically attracted to the tray 1. The periphery of the conductor rod 452 is covered with an insulating material (not shown) so that the voltage applied to the conductor rod 452 is not transmitted to the tray holder 45.
[0047]
When the workpiece 9 is electrostatically attracted to the tray 1, the adhesion of the workpiece 9 to the tray 1 is improved. As a result, the heat transfer efficiency between the workpiece 9 and the tray 1 is further increased, and the accuracy and efficiency of temperature control are further improved. Moreover, since the pressing pressure of the workpiece 9 against the tray 1 also increases, the workpiece 9 does not float from the tray 1 even if the pressure in the closed space is increased. For this reason, the pressure in a closed space can be made higher and heat transfer efficiency can be improved further.
[0048]
Although the pressure by the pressing tool 12 may be increased, since the pressure by the pressing tool 12 acts locally on the object 9 to be processed, there is a problem that the temperature distribution of the object 9 becomes uneven. Moreover, if the pressure by the pressing tool 12 is increased too much, an excessive force is applied to the object 9 to be processed, and there is a possibility that problems such as breakage of the object 9 will occur. In the configuration in which the workpiece 9 is electrostatically adsorbed, there is no such problem, and the pressing tool 12 does not have to be used as shown in FIG.
[0049]
Note that the configuration in which the workpiece 9 is electrostatically attracted to the tray 1 prevents the positional displacement of the workpiece 9 during processing other than when the temperature of the workpiece 9 is controlled via the tray 1. There is technical significance such as being able to.
In addition, by providing a battery-type suction power source 49 inside the tray 1, the workpiece 9 can be electrostatically attracted to the tray 1 even when the tray 1 is not placed on the tray holder 45. In this case, the workpiece 9 can be electrostatically adsorbed even when the tray 1 is moved by a transport robot or the like, which is useful for preventing misalignment during transport of the workpiece 9 and dropping from the tray 1. .
[0050]
In the present embodiment, one adsorption electrode 18, that is, a monopolar configuration is used, but a bipolar configuration using a pair of adsorption electrodes may be used. Voltages having different polarities are applied to the pair of adsorption electrodes. Further, when plasma is formed in a space facing the workpiece 9, the workpiece 9 can be electrostatically adsorbed even if a high frequency voltage is applied to the suction electrode.
In the present embodiment, the entire tray 1 is made of a dielectric, but it is sufficient that at least the surface on which the workpiece 9 is placed is a dielectric. Therefore, for example, only the upper part from the adsorption electrode 18 may be made of a dielectric.
In this embodiment, the voltage supply unit is a conductive member that connects the suction electrode 18 and the external suction power source 49. However, a power source may be provided in the tray holder 45 to serve as the voltage supply unit.
[0051]
Next, the tray of the third embodiment will be described. FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view of the tray according to the third embodiment as viewed from above.
The tray of the third embodiment is different from the above-described embodiments in the shape of the closed space recess 14. That is, the recessed portion 14 for closed space in the embodiment shown in FIG. 10 has such a shape that the mounting recessed portion 11 is dug down leaving a large number of small cylindrical portions. Further, the peripheral portion of the tray 1 is not the closed space concave portion 14, and the convex portion extends circumferentially. This convex part has the same height as the small cylindrical part and the upper surface. Also in this embodiment, the opening of the gas introduction path 15 is located at the center of the mounting recess 11. Also with the tray 1 of this embodiment, the pressure in the closed space increases, and the accuracy and efficiency of temperature control of the workpiece 9 can be improved.
[0052]
Each of the configurations of the closed space recess 14 and the gas introduction path 15 described above has a technical significance in which the temperature of the workpiece 9 is made uniform by making the introduction amount of the pressurizing gas into the closed space uniform. Many such configurations are possible other than those described above.
First, when there is one gas introduction path 15, the outlet is located at the center of the mounting recess 11, but when there are a plurality of gas introduction paths 15, those outlets are placed at the mounting recess. It is preferable that they are symmetrically arranged with respect to the center of the eleventh and arranged at equal intervals. Further, the shape of the closed space concave portion 14 is not limited to the centrally symmetric shape, and a shape in which groove-like ones are arranged in parallel at equal intervals, a shape constituted by lattice-like grooves, or the like can be employed.
[0053]
The closed space is formed on the side opposite to the surface to be processed of the workpiece 9 but need not be completely opposite. This means the opposite side within a range that does not affect the processing of the surface to be processed. Furthermore, it is preferable that the closed space has no opening at a portion other than the gas introduction path 15, but such a configuration may be used as long as there is an opening and the gas for pressurization leaking from the opening does not affect the processing. .
[0054]
In each of the above embodiments, etching is taken as an example of vacuum processing, but film-forming processing such as sputtering and chemical vapor deposition (CVD), and surface modification processing such as surface oxidation and surface nitriding can be performed in the same manner. .
Moreover, although the semiconductor wafer was assumed as the to-be-processed object 9, various substrates, such as a board | substrate for liquid crystal displays, a board | substrate for plasma displays, a board | substrate for information recording media, such as a hard disk, a base | substrate for electronic devices, such as a magnetic sensor, etc. Can be the workpiece 9.
[0055]
【The invention's effect】
  As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, since the pressure in the closed space between the workpiece and the tray increases, the accuracy and efficiency of temperature control of the workpiece via the tray are increased. Will improve.In addition, when the pressurizing gas is introduced into the closed space, the object to be processed is pressed against the tray by the pressing tool so as not to float. Therefore, there is no problem that heat transfer between the tray and the object to be processed becomes insufficient, and the pressurization gas leaks from the closed space. In addition, when the tray is held by the tray holder, the pressurization gas is once stored in the concave portion on the opposite side to the side on which the workpiece is placed, so that the heat transfer efficiency between the holding member and the tray is increased. The effect that it improves also is acquired.
  Claims2According to the described invention, in addition to the above effect, the conductance of the gas introduction path is adjusted by the conductance adjuster, so that an amount of gas that prevents the workpiece from being lifted and has a sufficient heat transfer efficiency improving effect can be obtained. Easy to install.
  Moreover, according to the invention of Claim 3, a to-be-processed object can be processed, acquiring the effect of the invention of the said Claim 1 or 2.
  According to the invention of claim 4,Since the pressure in the closed space between the workpiece and the tray increases, the accuracy and efficiency of temperature control of the workpiece through the tray are improved. Also,Since the workpiece can be electrostatically adsorbed on the tray, it is possible to prevent the positional displacement of the workpiece and further improve the contact of the workpiece with the tray.In addition, there is no problem of insufficient heat transfer between the tray and the object to be processed or leakage of the pressurizing gas from the closed space.
According to the invention of claim 5,In addition to the above effects, the conductance of the gas introduction path is adjusted by the conductance adjuster, so that it is possible to easily introduce an amount of gas that can prevent the object to be lifted and obtain a sufficient effect of improving the heat transfer efficiency.
  According to the sixth aspect of the invention, it is more preferable to apply a voltage for electrostatic adsorption to the adsorption electrode of the tray.
  Further, according to the invention described in claim 7, it is possible to process the object while obtaining the effect of any one of the inventions described in claims 4 to 6.
  Claims8According to the described invention, in addition to the above effects, the accuracy and efficiency of temperature control of the object to be processed can be further improved.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a tray according to a first embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the tray shown in FIG. 1 as viewed from above.
FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of the tray shown in FIG. 1 as viewed from below.
FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of the vacuum processing apparatus of the first embodiment.
5 is a cross-sectional view taken along B-B ′ of FIG. 4;
6 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing details of a tray holder 45 provided in the etching chamber 4 shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG.
FIG. 7 is a plan view illustrating the configuration of conductance adjuster 17;
FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a tray holder provided in the tray of the second embodiment and the vacuum processing apparatus of the second embodiment.
9 is a cross-sectional view showing a detailed structure of the conduction pin 19 shown in FIG. 8. FIG.
FIG. 10 is a schematic plan view of a tray according to a third embodiment as viewed from above.
[Explanation of symbols]
1 tray
11 Mounting recess
12 Pushing tool
14 Concave for closed space
15 Gas introduction path
16 Back side recess
17 Conductance adjuster
18 Adsorption electrode
2 Transfer chamber
3 Load lock chamber
4 Processing chamber
41 Exhaust system
42 Process gas introduction system
43 High frequency electrode
44 High frequency power supply
45 Tray holder
452 Conductor rod
46 Temperature control mechanism
461 Heater
462 Refrigerant distribution system
47 Clamp mechanism
48 Gas introduction system for pressurization
49 Suction power supply

Claims (8)

In a vacuum processing apparatus for processing an object to be processed in a vacuum, a tray for a vacuum processing apparatus that is transported with the object to be processed and placed on a tray holder ,
With the target surface of the article to be treated has a recess for the closed space to form a closed space in a space facing the surface opposite, when placed on the tray holder, the pressure in the closed space to be and it has a gas inlet passage for introducing a pressurizing gas into the closed space to be higher than the vacuum pressure in the space facing the surface to be processed of the workpiece,
A presser for pressing the object to be processed against the tray so that the object to be processed does not float when the pressure increasing gas is introduced into the closed space;
On the surface opposite to the side on which the object to be processed is placed, a recess on the opposite side for temporarily storing the pressure-increasing gas is formed,
The vacuum processing apparatus tray , wherein the gas introduction path penetrates the tray in a thickness direction and connects the closed space recess and the opposite recess . Vacuum processing device tray according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a conductance regulator for regulating the conductance of the gas introducing path. A vacuum processing apparatus in which the vacuum processing apparatus tray according to claim 1 or 2 is used, wherein the processing chamber is evacuated to a vacuum pressure by an exhaust system, and the predetermined position in the processing chamber is according to claim 1 or 2 . And a tray holder for holding a tray for a vacuum processing apparatus. The tray holder is provided with a temperature control mechanism for controlling the temperature of the object to be processed through the tray, and the closed space is provided through the gas introduction path. A vacuum processing apparatus characterized in that a boosting gas introduction system for introducing a boosting gas is provided. In a vacuum processing apparatus for processing an object to be processed in a vacuum, a tray for a vacuum processing apparatus that is transported with the object to be processed and placed on a tray holder ,
A closed space recess for forming a closed space is formed in a space facing the surface opposite to the surface to be processed of the object to be processed, and the pressure in the closed space is applied when placed on the tray holder. A gas introduction path for introducing a pressure-increasing gas into the closed space so as to be higher than the vacuum pressure of the space facing the surface to be processed of the object to be processed induces static electricity on the surface and electrostatically adsorbs the object to be processed It has an adsorption electrode that generates an electric field inside,
On the surface opposite to the side on which the object to be processed is placed, a recess on the opposite side for temporarily storing the pressure-increasing gas is formed,
The vacuum processing apparatus tray , wherein the gas introduction path penetrates the tray in a thickness direction and connects the closed space recess and the opposite recess . The tray for a vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising a conductance adjuster for adjusting conductance of the gas introduction path. 6. One end of a conduction pin is connected to the adsorption electrode, and the other end of the conduction pin protrudes from a surface of the tray on the side where it is placed on the tray holder. For vacuum processing equipment. A vacuum processing apparatus vacuum processing apparatus tray is used according to any one of claims 4 to 6, a processing chamber is evacuated to a vacuum pressure by the exhaust system, to a predetermined position inside the treatment chamber to Claim 4 6. A tray holder for holding the vacuum processing apparatus tray according to any one of claims 6 to 6 , wherein the tray holder has a voltage supply unit that supplies a voltage for electrostatic adsorption to the adsorption electrode. Vacuum processing equipment. The vacuum processing apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the tray holder is provided with a temperature control mechanism that controls the temperature of the object to be processed via the tray.

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